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Dear ,
I hope you and your family are doing well! Below, please find a few updates on my work last week for the residents of Arizona’s First Congressional District.
ICYMI: My Legislation to Reform Defense Department Audit Process
On Friday, I introduced the Algorithms Utilized to Detect Institutional Transactions (AUDIT) Act, legislation ensuring the audit of the Department of Defense's financial statements is conducted using artificial intelligence to help streamline the internal review process and usher in a new era of audit.
Typically, Pentagon personnel must count every single piece of inventory — from military equipment, to supplies, and even property. In 2019, DOD’s audit cost was $428 million. On top of that, add another $472 million to the total cost to account for the errors encountered after the audit was conducted. The Defense Department has failed to achieve a clean financial audit for six consecutive years. The 2023 audit required 1,600 auditors and 700 site visits to complete, costing $187 billion and earning a “disclaimer of opinion” rating, meaning DOD couldn’t provide enough financial information to auditors so they could form an opinion.
The federal government has spent nearly $1 billion annually trying to audit the Department of Defense. This legislation helps accelerate the adoption of innovative auditing tools to reduce costs and foster creative solutions that will increase government accountability. This is common-sense legislation that will only help modernize how Congress conducts such oversight in order to protect hardworking taxpayers.
Migrants Are Flocking to States That Don't Even Touch the Border Geographically
Colorado was just listed in the top three states affected by the recent surge of migrants coming into the U.S. during the border crisis. The number of migrants listing a Colorado address in their immigration court cases has increased by seven times the amount of 2021. Arizona sectors continue to seize hundreds of thousands fentanyl pills, as well as hundreds of pounds of other illegal substances trying to enter into the United States.
We continue to see tragedies revealed from this crisis, such as the deaths of Laken Riley, New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Casey Frankoski and John Grassia, as well as Border Patrol agent Chris Luna. It is shameful that the Biden Administration has yet to take action. The responsibility of the border crisis completely falling onto President Biden is no longer a partisan talking point. He made it very clear last week in his State of the Union speech where his priorities lie, and it's not with the American people.
How the OECD Pillar 1 Global Tax Deal Hurts American Workers
Last week, I participated in a Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee hearing examining how the global tax deal negotiated by President Biden punishes American workers and companies for America’s world-leading innovation and productivity. According to a Joint Committee on Taxation analysis of tax year 2021, American companies earned 70 percent of the profits that would have been subject to reallocation and taxation by other foreign nations under the current OECD Pillar 1 proposal. Just this month, the JCT analysis also showed that in 2021, the United States would have lost up to $4.4 billion in tax revenue to foreign nations under the proposed deal, hurting taxpayers and weakening the economy.
The committee held a Markup of H.R. 7513, H.R. 5074, H.R. 7512, and the Views and Estimates Letter to the Committee on the Budget. The three health care bills would prohibit the Biden administration from implementing nursing home staffing mandates, support innovative treatments for patients with End Stage Renal Disease, our most vulnerable community, and encourage CMS to implement a market based digital real-time benefit tool that would lower the cost of drugs. Additionally, the Committee approved their views and estimates of the FY25 budget.
Spring Break Reminders From the Bureau of Consular Affairs
For some, spring break travel is right around the corner. For others, you may have already embarked on your journey. Here are some helpful reminders to remember before you travel:
• Research your destination. Before traveling, familiarize yourself with the laws and customs of your destination. Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months in order to enter. Visit their website to review country-specific information on everything from entry requirements to what you can and CANNOT bring to the country.
• Check your passport. Before making any definite or non-refundable travel plans, check your passport expiration date and consider processing times (currently 6-8 weeks for routine and 2-3 weeks for expedited, not including shipping times). Information on processing times is available at Travel.state.gov/passport.
• Pack carefully and inspect your suitcases. Look through every nook and cranny of your bags before you start packing to make sure you haven’t accidentally left stray ammunition or medication inside. Many countries have very harsh penalties for importing weapons, ammunition, or drugs – even if the item is legal in the United States.
• Save the contact info of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. This information can be invaluable in emergency situations.
• Understand your health insurance coverage. Look up which medical services your health insurance will cover overseas and consider purchasing travel insurance to cover unexpected costs. Medical evacuations can cost upwards of $100,000.
• Enroll in STEP. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov to receive important safety and security updates, and to make it easier for the U.S. embassy or consulate to contact you in an emergency.
• Stay Connected. Inform your family and friends of your travel plans. Follow @TravelGov on social media for real-time updates, travel advisory information, and helpful tips.
Receiving the 2023 Humane Award
Throughout my time in Congress, I have championed positive animal welfare legislation like the Paws Off Act of 2023 to further protect our four-legged friends. I am pleased to announce my acceptance of the Humane Society Legislative Fund's (HSLF) 'Legislative Leader' award, which is awarded to Members of Congress who demonstrated leadership on animal protection legislation in 2023.
The Legislative Leader award is given to Members of Congress who take proactive legislative initiatives on animal welfare issues. Altogether, a bipartisan group of 255 legislators – 55 Senators and 200 Representatives covering 42 states, the District of Columbia, and the Northern Mariana Islands – were honored for their work in 2023. Big thanks to both Sara Amundson, HSLF’s President, and Kitty Block, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Humane Society of the United States for presenting me with this award.
It is because of my continued support for animal welfare that I have introduced and will continue to advocate for legislation on behalf on behalf of our furry companions.
$1.1 Trillion on Interest Isn't a Republican or Democrat Issue, It's Just Math
Click here to watch my full floor speech.
Let's think about this -- we are just over five months into the current Fiscal Year 2024, and at our current borrowing rate, overall borrowing costs will approach $3 trillion by September 30. Approximately every 125 days, we add another $1 trillion to the national debt. We hit a record last Friday when our borrowing surpassed $95,000 per second. If we take both of those figures, we are on a path to borrow $2.7 trillion this year. To put that into perspective, that's 2,700,000,000,000 — 11 zeros. The federal government is borrowing more money per second than the average salary of most Americans.
The number of students in schools is shrinking. Automation is increasingly needed to account for labor shortages. The number of deaths in the United States will surpass the number of births in the United States in 2040. It's demographics.
Upcoming Office Hours With My District Office
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My district casework team is here to assist residents of Arizona’s First Congressional District with applications and claims pertaining to federal benefits. Staff from my district office may be in your neighborhood to offer one-on-one casework assistance. Stop by tomorrow, March 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community or call the district office at (480) 946-2411 for immediate assistance with the IRS, Passports, Medicare, Social Security, VA and other federal benefits.
What I’m Reading & Why It Matters
Today, President Biden released his FY25 budget proposal, and while I'm still combing over the details with my staff, I wanted to share some preliminary findings with you. First of all, President Biden proposes $86.6 trillion in new spending over the next decade — a 68.5% increase in spending, which he plans to justify with a $4.9 trillion tax increase on American families and workers. In fact, the gross federal debt would increase by $18.2 trillion, growing from $34.5 trillion today to $52.7 trillion by 2034. Debt-to-GDP grows to 128.2 percent in 2028, the highest level in American history. His budget proposal also increases debt held by the public 72% over the next decade, with deficit spending reaching $16.3 trillion by 2034.
Simply put, spending grows completely out of control under this budget proposal, impacting hardworking Americans across the country and ensuring that future generations will be forced to have their taxes double just to maintain baseline services. Stay tuned as we find more hidden gems tucked away in this liberal wishlist. |